Severe Winds, Dust Storms, Whirlwinds
Dangers and Hardships of Pioneer Life
A Prairie Fire of Thirty Years Ago
Atmospheric conditions and all the other elements that make up what is called "weather" plays a significant role in the lives of the Foster County residents. The fact that this is an agricultural community, good or bad weather can make a vital difference in the income of the whole area.
The climate of Foster County is quite varied. In winter the temperature has fallen 43 degrees below zero while in summer it has registered as high as 116 degrees giving an extreme range of 150 degrees. The summer months are usually pleasant, the temperature seldom rises above 90 degrees and the nights are usually cool. The average mean temperature for June, July and August is 65.7 degrees. The spring and fall months are usually characterized by high winds, which often begin in the morning and abate with the setting sun.
Foster County has an average of 179 days of sunshine, 76 days partly cloudy and 110 days per year cloudy. The average precipitation from 1898 to 1936 was 16.53 inches and from 1930 to 1981 it was 17.60 inches at the Carrington station. The average snow is 33.5 inches. The greatest amount of moisture was 1957 with 23.81 inches and the least was 1936 with 6.52. The Foster County moisture comes chiefly from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
The average recorded date of the last killing frost in spring is May 16th. While the average date of the first killing frost in autumn is September 21st, which gives an average growing season of 128 days free from killing frost. The latest recorded date of killing frost in spring is July 2nd and the earliest record date of killing frost in autumn is August 24th.
The above statements are the averages, but what about the extremes? What type of disasters to life and property has unusual weather caused?
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 74